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1. Home
2. Entering and staying in the UK
3. Border control
4. Getting through the UK border faster
* Border Force
Guidance
GUIDE TO FASTER TRAVEL THROUGH THE UK BORDER
Updated 24 July 2023
CONTENTS
1. Arriving at the border
2. Use the eGates for quicker entry
3. Getting your passport stamped by a Border Force officer
4. Withdrawal of landing cards
5. Advice for families travelling with children
6. Bring your passport rather than an ID card
7. Pay to FastTrack passport control at UK airports
8. Travelling through an airport
9. Travelling through a seaport
10. Travelling by coach or mini bus
11. Know what you can or can’t bring into the UK
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© Crown copyright 2023
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0
except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit
nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the
Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email:
psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to
obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coming-to-the-uk/faster-travel-through-the-uk-border
During popular travel periods, such as school holidays or Christmas holidays, we
expect to see an increase in the number of travellers entering the UK border.
We recommend that you follow the faster travel advice below to help us process
you quickly and improve your experience at the UK border.
ARRIVING AT THE BORDER
Always keep your passport and travel documents with you – don’t be tempted to
pack them away in your luggage as you will need to show your passport on your
arrival.
To avoid delays, when you arrive at UK passport control, please:
* remove your passport from its cover and have it open at the photo page
* take off any hats, headphones and sunglasses
* put mobile phones or tablets away when it’s time to see an officer
* stay together when travelling as a family
USE THE EGATES FOR QUICKER ENTRY
There are over 270 eGates in place at 15 air and rail ports in the UK to enable
quicker travel into the UK.
You can normally use eGates if you:
* have a biometric symbol on the cover of your passport
* are aged 10+ (10 to 17 year olds must be accompanied by an adult)
* are either:
* a British citizen
* a national of an EU country, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan,
Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or
the USA
* a member of the Registered Traveller Service
Those travelling with ID cards cannot use the eGates.
eGates eligibility and how to use the eGates
Reasons you may not get through the eGates
GETTING YOUR PASSPORT STAMPED BY A BORDER FORCE OFFICER
You must see a Border Force officer and get your passport stamped if you’re
coming to the UK:
* with a Temporary Work - Creative Worker Certificate of Sponsorship for
short-term assignments (up to 3 months)
* to carry out Permitted Paid Engagements
* as the family member of an EEA national seeking to join them permanently in
the UK and you’re arriving in the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020.
If you use the eGates by mistake, please see a Border Force officer before you
leave the port to receive a stamp in your passport.
WITHDRAWAL OF LANDING CARDS
Passengers do not need to complete a landing card when they arrive in the UK.
ADVICE FOR FAMILIES TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN
If you are travelling with a child (under 18) and are not the child’s parent or
may appear not to be the parent (for example, if you have a different family
name), we may ask you a few questions to establish your relationship with the
child.
We do not wish to delay your journey any longer than necessary and it may help
if you carry evidence of your relationship with the child and/or the reason why
you are travelling with the child, this could include copies of:
* a birth or adoption certificate showing your relationship with the child
* a divorce or marriage certificates if you are the parent but have a different
surname to the child
* a letter from the child’s parent(s) giving authority for the child to travel
with you and providing contact details if you are not the parent
BRING YOUR PASSPORT RATHER THAN AN ID CARD
If you are an EEA citizen, you may find it faster to use your passport rather
than your EEA national identity card at the UK border.
This is because:
* passports are faster for our Border Force officers to process
* you can use your EU passport at our eGates
You cannot use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID card to enter the UK unless you:
* have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or Jersey,
Guernsey or the Isle of Man’s settlement schemes
* have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, or the equivalent from Jersey,
Guernsey or the Isle of Man
* have a frontier worker permit
* are an S2 Healthcare Visitor
* are a Swiss national and have a Service Provider from Switzerland visa
In these cases, you can continue to use your national ID card to enter the UK
until at least 31 December 2025.
PAY TO FASTTRACK PASSPORT CONTROL AT UK AIRPORTS
You can pay a small fee to ‘fast track’ passport control checks if you are
travelling through the following UK airports:
* Gatwick
* Stansted
* Manchester
* Edinburgh
* Birmingham
* East Midlands
The cost per person and details of FastTrack services may vary by airport,
please visit the relevant airport website to find out more.
TRAVELLING THROUGH AN AIRPORT
On arrival into the airport, look out for the signs for where you should go and
follow the instructions on display.
TRAVELLING THROUGH A SEAPORT
For people in vehicles, please have your windows open and any curtains drawn so
we can see into your vehicle.
You will need to show your passport and travel documents when requested.
If you are travelling by bike or motorcycle, please remove your helmet,
including open-faced helmets.
If the Border Force officer can’t identify you or your passengers, this will
delay your journey.
TRAVELLING BY COACH OR MINI BUS
All passengers must get off the coach or mini bus with their passports at border
control so that a Border Force officer can check them face to face. Passengers
should be prepared for crossing the border by:
* putting on shoes and coats
* individually (including children) holding your own passport or travel
document
* letting passport control know that you are the leader of the group
* leaving any food and drinks on the vehicle
* leaving all luggage on board; if Border Force needs to search the luggage
this will be organised separately
Read our guide to entering the UK for more details about coming to the UK.
KNOW WHAT YOU CAN OR CAN’T BRING INTO THE UK
There are restrictions or bans on bringing some food products such as fish, eggs
and honey, some fruits and vegetables as well as live plants, traditional
medicines or products of animal origins.
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